Press Release

ISLAM CHANNEL PRESS RELEASE

Islam Channel is aware that the government backed so- called Quilliam Foundation has released a report this week alleging the portrayal of ‘extremist’ and ‘discriminatory’ views on the Islam Channel.

Within the Muslim community, the Quillam Foundation is regarded with disdain and broadly with very limited or no credibility. It is an organization with no community support, depending for its existence on government funding including the PVE scheme.

Majid Nawaz of the Quillam Foundation recently requested to be a presenter on the Islam Channel and ironically he is happy to present on an Iranian state owned channel – Press TV. It is of note that recently Quilliam Foundations co- director Ed Hussain embarrassed his paymasters, by suggesting that it was morally right for the government to use the Prevent Strategy to spy on Muslims. The government was forced to issue a statement condemning the position of Quilliam Foundation.

It should be of no surprise that an institution such as the Quilliam Foundation is not taken at all seriously across the Muslim community in Britain. In contrast, the Islam Channel is a community funded and community centred channel covering a wide range of opinions and subjects that has been broadcasting for over 6 years and enjoys unparalleled support across the many sections of the Muslim community.

As a matter of principal, Islam Channel does not accept discrimination and rejects all forms of racism, islamophobia and anti-Semitism. Islam Channel believes that the Jews should not be held responsible for the acts of the state of Israel and the criticism of the Israeli brutality should not be seen as anti- Semitism.

Islam Channel promotes the role of women in society and that is why almost half of those working at Islam Channel are women. The channel encourages the Muslim community to take an active role in civic society and to take part in the social and democratic process. We strongly reject all forms of extremism including such extremist views displayed by the Quilliam Foundation. We condemn unreservedly all forms of violence and the killing of innocent people regardless of their faith and ethnicity.

It would be far more appropriate to investigate the value added to the tax payers in providing Quilliam Foundation with large sums of money and the real agenda behind the continuous attempts to discredit the Muslim community leaders and organisations.

Any attempts to defame the channel, will be taken seriously and the channel reserves the right to take legal action.